krulish



J. A. C. KRULISH MULTI-HOLE SPRAY NOZZLE TESTER May 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 18, 1960 May 8, 1962 J. A. c. KRULISH 3,033,026

MULTI-HOLE SPRAY NOZZLE TESTER Filed July 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office 3,033,026 MULTl-HQLE SPRAY NOZZLE TESTER John A. C. Krnlish, Albertson, N.Y., assignor to Socony Mobil Oil Company, Inc, a corporation of New York Filed July 18, 1960, Ser. No. 23,533 5 Claims. (Cl. 73-49.7)

This invention relates to apparatus for testing multihole nozzles such as used for example to inject liquid fuel into the cylinder of diesel engines.

A key factor in attainment of economic, smooth and clean operation of diesel engines is proper injection of the liquid fuel. For etficient combustion, each injection nozzle should provide a uniform symmetrical pattern of the fuel spray as discharged from the nozzle into the air compressed in the associated engine cylinder. The formation of such a spray pattern requires the discharge orifices or holes of the nozzle to be equally spaced, to be of the same dimensions and shape, to have uniformly sharp edges and to have the same direction with respect to the axis of the nozzle. If these small holes are clogged by metal bur-rs or by carbon deposit, or if there is a variation in bore size or angular direction, due for example to improper drilling or erosion during use, the spray pattern is not symmetrical, with the result that fuel does not contact the combustion air uniformly causing smoky combustion and reduced maximum power. Also if the holes are flared, due to erosion or faulty manufacture, the individual sprays are spread in excess of optimum with the result that penetration is reduced causing localized over-rich mixtures (poor air utilization) and hence smoking and loss of power. Further it is possible more fuel in an unburned state reaches the piston crown or combustion chamber ceiling forming carbon deposits.

In the past, various complicated arrangements and time-consuming techniques have been employed to check or study the performance of spray nozzles such as used in diesel engines and in other devices used for example in spraying or drying of paint. Some prior test arrangements utilize high-speed flash photography and others require study of spray patterns on a piece of blotting paper. Such arrangements and techniques are not suited for onthe-spot use by operating engineers or maintenance men who must be able quickly to determine whether or not a fuel injection nozzle is operating properly.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a nozzle-testing device having a cap member which receives the nozzle tip and has a plurality of metering holes so dimensioned and located that they all pass equal amounts of liquid when the spray pattern is symmetrical but pass different amounts of liquid when the spray pattern is distorted. By noting the amounts of liquid passed by the cap holes and the total rejected by them, the

nozzle efiiciency may be determined and the faulty nozzle hole or holes identified,

More particularly, the metering cap is connected to a sleeve which is rotatably mounted in a body member which receives and clamps the body of the nozzle to be tested: such cap is detachable from the sleeve for replacement by other caps respectively having metering hole arrangements suited-for testing of correspondingly different types of nozzles.

The invention further resides in a nozzle-testing arrangement or system having the features of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed.

For a more detailed understanding of the invention, reference is made in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the testing system performance;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on enlarged scale of the testing device of FIG. 1 with the nozzle shown in dotted outline for clarity; and

FIG. 3 is an explanatory figure showing on greatly enlarged scale the relationship between a nozzle orifice and the corresponding metering hole of the testing device.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the nozzle 10 under test is positioned in the testing device 11 with its discharge tip 12 within the cap 13 of the device 11. The body member 14 of the device has a bore 15 slightly larger than the diameter of the nozzle body to facilitate insertion of the nozzle. The upper or neck portion of the body member is slotted axially of the bore between a pair of cars or lugs 16. By tightening the bolt or screw 16A, the cars 16 may be forced toward one another firmly to clamp the nozzle 10 in test position.

The lower portion of the body member 14 is recessed or counteroored to receive sleeve member 18 having its bore in axial alignment with the bore of the body member and also dimensioned freely to pass the body of the nozzle. Intermediate its ends, the sleeve 18 is rotatably supported by the removable end plate 14A of the body member 14. The upper end of sleeve 18 is provided with 1 worm Wheel 19 rotatable within recess 17 of the body member. This worm wheel is in mesh with the worm 20 attachd to shaft 21 which extends externally of the body member 14 and is there provided with a knob or handle 22.

The cap member 13 is detachably connected as by: screws 13A, to the lower exposed end of sleeve 18. The

upper portion of the bore of cap 13 is dimensioned to provide a running fit for the nozzle immediately above its discharge tip 12. The lower portion of this bore is dimensioned to form a cavity 23 encircling the nozzle tip and is closed except for the metering holes 24 in the side wall and the drain hole 25 in the bottom. In number and angular spacing, the metering holes 24 in cap 13 correspond with the discharge orifices 26 of the nozzle tip. In size and shape, each of the metering holes 24 matches the normal spray stream 27 (FIG. 3) issuing from the corresponding discharge orifice 26 at the region where the spray stream would impinge upon the side wall of the cavity in absence of the metering hole. Thus, the size and shape of each metering hole 24 takes into account the direction in which the corresponding discharge orifice 26 is bored, the size and shape of the discharge orifice 26, and the distance from the orifice 26 to the corresponding metering hole 24.

If the nozzle is in perfect operating condition, the spray from the nozzle is passed by the metering holes 24 and maybe collected in the receptacles 28 (FIG. 1) respectively connected to the metering orifices 24 by the pipes 29: none of the liquid collects in cavity 23 for passage by the drain hole 25 and pipe 30 to the receptacle 3-1.

If, on the other hand, the spray pattern is not symmetrical for any of the various reasons mentioned above, one or more of the spray streams does not match the corresponding metering orifice or orifices. Consequently, the amounts of liquid passed by the metering holes in any given time are not all alike and the liquid rejected by one or more of the metering holes because of mismatch passes through the drain pipe 30 into the collecting receptacle 31.

Any deviation from proper operation of any nozzle orifice 26 can be detected after only a short test period by noting the differences between the amount of liquid collected in the corresponding calibrated receptacle 28 and that collected in the other receptacles 28. The overall efliciency of the nozzle under test can be determined Patented May 8, 1962' ii by measuring the amount of liquid passed by the metering holes 24 and the amount of liquid passed by the drain hole 25. Multiplying by 100', the ratio of the amount of liquid passed by all of the metering holes to the sum of that amount plus the amount passed by the drain hole gives the nozzle efficiency in percent.

In the particular arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the cap .13 of test device 11 hasten metering holes for testing of a nozzle having that number of tip orifices. For'testing of nozzles having a different number'of spray orifices, the cap 13 is replaced by another one suited for the nozzle to betested and having the relationship between metering holes and discharge orifices above discussed. Such replacement may-be simply and quickly effected since the screws 13A for holding the cap 13 to sleeve 18 are accessible externally of test device 11. In other words, a test device 11 may be provided with a number of interchangeable caps 13 each having a group of metering holes 24 positioned and dimensioned to suit a particular type of nozzle to be tested.

With the proper cap 13 attached and connected to the corresponding number of collection receptacles 28 and 31, a nozzle may be tested with device 11 in a few minutes. The nozzle is simply slipped into test device 11 and clamped in place by tightening the clamping bolts 16A. The inlet of the nozzle is connected by coupling 32 and pipe 33 to a pump or other source supplying fuelliquid to the nozzle at operating pressure. The knob 22 is adjusted to elfect alignment of the metering holes 24 with the nozzle orifices 26. This alignment may, be visually determinedby observing the flow rates of receptacles28 and 31 and adjusting the knob 22 for maximumflow to receptacles 28 and zero or minimum flow to receptacle 31. which, within a few minutes at most, clearly indicates to what extent, if any, the nozzle falls short of its proper operating condition. The percent efl1ciency ofthe nozzle may be quickly calculatedas above indicated from, the.

The ex-- amounts of liquid in receptacles 28 and 31. posed body of the nozzle may be peripherally marked or indexed to correlate the various nozzle orifices with the amounts of liquid passed by the. corresponding metering holes of device 11; this is helpful in re-conditioning of the nozzle if that appearsfeasible from the test resultsv and the subsequent visual inspection of the removalnozzle.

As appears from the foregoing, the testing of a nozzle requires no complicated equipment or testing technique. It may be quickly performed by an operating engineer or a maintenance man and requires only simple tools such as a screw driveror wrench to make connections from the nozzle to a source of fuel-liquid and clamp the nozzle in place. Notwithstanding the simplicity of the test system including device 11, it may be possible quickly to determine whether or not (a) the shape or crosssection of the nozzle spray is within the accepted required tolerance; (b) the. nozzle orifices are of sufficiently uniform size to pass equal amounts of fuel; there is partial or completeclogging of the nozzle orifices by sediment or other foreign matterincluding burrs; and (d) the orifice holes are properly aimed, i.e., directionally correct.

The device is now ready for a testirunv What is claimed is:

1. A device for checking multi-hole spray nozzles comprising a cap for receiving the multi-hole tip of a downwardly-directed nozzle to be tested, said cap adjacent and below said tip holes having wall structure spaced from the nozzle tip to define a cavity, said wall structure having a series of metering holes in number and angular spac ing corresponding with the nozzle tip holes, each of said metering holes being located and dimensionedto match the normal spray stream issuing from the corresponding tip hole, said wall structure also having a drain hole at the bottom of said cavity, a plurality of collection receptacles connected respectively to receive liquid passed by the metering holes, and a collection receptacle connected to receive liquid rejected by said metering holes and passed by said drain hole.

2. A device as in'claim i1 additionally including a body member rotatably supporting said cap and having clamping means for holding the nozzle stationary with its'tip in said cap, and means for rotating said cap relative to the clamped nozzle to effect alignment of the metering holes in the cap With the axis of the normal spray stream. discharged from the corresponding holes in the nozzle tip.

3. A device for use inchecking a multi-hole spray nozzle comprising a body member having a bore suited to receive the body of a nozzle to be tested and provided with means for clamping the nozzle in said bore, a sleeve member rotatably mounted in said body member in axial alignmentwith said bore thereof, and a cap member attached to said sleeve to receive the discharge tip of the clamped nozzle, said cap member having a series of metering holes which by angular adjustment of said sleeve member are aligned with the spray streams from the nozzle tip holes, said metering holes passing equal amounts of liquid when the spray pattern of said nozzle tip is symmetrical, said cap member having a bottom drain hole for passing liquid rejected by said metering holes whenthe spray pattern from said nozzle-tip holes is unsymmetrical.

4. A device as in claim 3 in which a worm wheel is attached to said sleeve and in which a wormengaging said worm wheel is rotatably supported within said body memher, and handle means externally of said body member and having a driving connection to said worm for rotating said sleeve member through the worm-worm-wheel engagement, to effect alignment of the nozzle-tip holes with the metering holes ,of the capniember.

5. A device as in claim 3 additionally including collection receptacles for receiving the liquid passed by individual metering holes respectively and for receiving the liquid rejected by the metering holes collectively for determination of the percent efficiency of the nozzle and for detecting which nozzle-tip holes are faulty.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,962,174 Christman June 12, 1934 2,483,637 Hawthorne et al. Oct. 4, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,816 Canada May 25, 1954 

